Curator Competition, Akbank Sanat, Istanbul. Deadline: Sept. 14, 2015

Akbank Sanat announces the fourth edition of the International Curator Competition. Curators from around the world are encouraged to submit proposals by September 14, 2015.

The competition intends to provide support for emerging curators, reinforce interest in curatorial practices, and encourage new projects in the field of contemporary art.

The competition has an application-based process. The content and the quality of the proposals along with the reports of the reviewers are evaluated by an international jury consisting curators. This year, the jury members are Bassam El Baroni (Independent curator and theory tutor at Dutch Art Institute, Arnhem), Paul O’Neill (Curator, writer and Director of the Graduate Program at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, New York), Iris Dressler and Hans D. Christ (Directors of the Württembergisch Kunstverein Stuttgart). A reviewers system is incorporated to the evaluation process of the competition.

In the first three years of the competition, proposals of Alejandra Labastida (Mexico City), Franz Thalmair (Austria) and Niekolaas Johannes Lekkerkerk (Netherlands) won the competition. Their exhibitions were realized at Akbank Sanat, Istanbul, accompanied by programs of activities (performances, talks, and screenings) and exhibition catalogues.

The winning curator is given opportunities to realize the proposal as an exhibition that will take place in the first half of 2016 at Akbank Sanat, Istanbul, accompanied by an exhibition catalogue and additional activities. The curatorial fee, the exhibition production, travel expenses of the curator/s and artists, the production of the catalogue and the additional activities will be covered by Akbank Sanat.

Eligibility
Curators under the age of 40 are eligible to apply for the competition. There is no condition of residency or citizenship. Curators may apply for the competition as individuals as well as in groups (or as curatorial collectives). Curators will not be allowed to participate as artists in the projects.